


Which is me, the in-between.

by Webtrinsic



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Iron Man - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Confusion, Dissociation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Father-Son Relationship, Hurt Peter Parker, Identity Issues, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Precious Peter Parker, Stuttering, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Worried Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-03-04 05:20:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13357356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Webtrinsic/pseuds/Webtrinsic
Summary: After the rubble, he's not quite sure of who he is. And sometimes he's no one at all. He'll have to speak for both Peter and Spider-Man.Luckily Tony comes around, and he may not know the answer himself. But he's willing to help the boy find out.





	Which is me, the in-between.

**Author's Note:**

> Had some fun writing this, kinda upset that I had so many good ideas for fics and I totally forgot to write some major ones down. Luckily I always remember them eventually!
> 
> Also, I have an announcement, I will be putting up a story soon but it's not really a story it's going to be a place where Y'all can comment some fics of mine that you'd like to see a part 2 too. I'll explain more about it, but just letting you know you might want to see what fics I have that you'd like to suggest!

It didn't take long for him to figure out that Peter Parker didn't make it out of the rubble. His shouts of "Come on Spider-Man!" Only affirmed it.

Spider-Man could speak freely, could breathe without the fear of burdening any and all those around him. Most importantly, Spider-Man was happy.

Peter Parker isn't... _wasn't?_ Since now, he was in stuck in the in-between. To shy to speak, but amiable nonetheless. This happened often, where he'd look in the mirror, survey the bruises littering his face. Unable to tell if it'd been the bullies or the crooks who'd painted his skin that day.

The bullies came when he'd returned to school, with the Vulture now stuck behind bars. And Peter could only stutter his words, the people pushing the vigilante into darkness. While Peter stood in the spotlight, surrounded by black, not knowing what to do or say.

Fear crippling him because Peter Parker had been mutilated, and only lived to hide the heroes justice. Nothing more, and nothing less.

_Knock Knock Knock_

His eyes burned, the firm knocks jumpstarting his eyelids into blinking once again. Briskly exiting the bathroom, stumbling to the door; stopping and wincing when he stubbed his toe on his backpack.

If he didn't think his face could get any paler, a blanched pearl painted his features even further when he was met with the one and only Tony Stark.

Who he'd been avoiding for weeks. The smile on the billionaire's face dimming as his eyes swept over the light purple and blue bruising swimming down from the boy's temple to his cheekbone. The shading only accentuating his pale features.

The teen's lips pressed together before he gave a shy smile, "Hi... Mr. S-tark."

"Hey, kiddo," The man of Iron smiled back just as tightly.

"Um... Con-congrats on y-your engagement," The pair both cringed at his stutter. He hadn't been sure if it'd come up around the man, but now he knew. It was anyone who knew him before Spider-Man, which Tony did and he'd stuttered then too!

"Thank you," Tony quirked his head as if looking in, and Peter understood. Quickly opening the door further, and allowing the hero to step in.

"That recent?" He questioned, fingers motioning to the bruise. Initially, he hadn’t wanted to bring it up, fearing it was too recent. And they'd left off on such bad terms, they weren't anywhere close enough to be so bold with their interactions.

"Yeah, I, well I got decked by...by um some kid." He summed up lamely, avoiding his heroes gaze.

The stressed calloused hand of the inventor tugged his goatee, "Some kid hit you?" He asked incredulously, anger seeping into his brown eyes masking the not at all well-hidden concern.

He could only nod, head lifting to the sound of his mentor's footsteps. Closing in on him, and carefully inspecting the bruising.

"Did you hit them back?"

Another shake of the head followed. Tony seethed, a mantra thumping against his temples in a brash symphony.

_He's being bullied. He's being bullied. He's being bullied._

"Why are you here?" And all Tony could process was that the kid sounded so small, and hurt, confused as if he thought he'd rather be anywhere else.

"To say thank you," the inventor admitted, letting on how tired he truly was. And how not being able to check up on him and crushed him, and now that he was here and Peter was visibly hurt after he'd crashed an honest to god plane only weeks ago; he could finally fall apart.

"You d-on't have too," Peter supplied without any thought.

"Dammit kid just accept it," Tony mumbled, putting a warm hand on the kid's shoulder.

"Okay," he relented, his peripheral catching his reflection in the fridge. It was enough to make him freeze, shake it out and take a seat at the table. Tony watching the scene with worried eyes.

"Don't like what you see?" Tony cautiously spoke, assuming it was the stained skin that caught his eyes.

"Its...its something else."

"Oh," He really didn't know what to say, why would someone startle at their reflection?

"You haven't been on patrol this week, you going out tonight Spider-Man?" He finally asked, dreading the silence. As Peter stared straight ahead, ignoring the reflective surfaces around him.

"Who?" Peter asked, staring at his hands seeming to recall something. Before he sighed, "Sorry, that um happens a lot."

The billionaire was officially confused, "What happens a lot?"

"I um, don't know who I am from time to time," The boy admitted, finding the wooden table beneath him a source of the finest interest. Tony couldn't breathe, reworking the sentence in his brain until he could find some hidden meaning, but the statement was as bold as it was terrifying.

Pulling out a chair, instantly cringing as it slid across the tile. Tony turned the seat so he could grip the headrest and give Peter a tad of space. Figuring it wasn't his place to coddle as much as he wanted too.

"Care to explain that a little more in depth?"

"Peter's not Spider-Man," a pause in breaths and Tony was almost sure he was holding it, "Spider-Man's not Peter." Another pause took place but this one lasted.

And when the clock had signified a good five minutes had passed, he spoke again. His tone growing softer, almost as if they were echoes between the oceans vast depths.

"Sometimes I can't find either of them and then I don't know who to be. I guess...Well...I guess I'm trying to say that I don't know me."

"Peter Parker is Spider-Man," it was slowly stated, and Peter shook his head weakly not believing him.

"How do you know that any better than I do?"

"Because I've met them both, and you can't have one without the other." It had taken a few seconds for him to get the right words out, and Peter looked at him skeptically before tearing his gaze away once again.

"I'm no one right now, and I don't know who to be."

Tony was hardly ever speechless, but this whole conversation left him at a loss for words. Just waiting for the right thing to say to come slipping off his tongue but it never came, Peter continued to beat him to it, even when it had been several minutes between each sentence.

"Spider-Man can see Peter hurting. But he doesn't want to save him, 'cause that means he'll have to hurt too."

"Is Spider-Man scared of hurting?" Tony questioned tentatively, and the boy's brow furrowed in concentration as he searched for the answer.

"No, he's.....he's scared," Tony could see the cogs turning in his head, "He's afraid of dying before he's saved the day, and he knows if Peter has to hurt or even die to keep someone else safe. Then so be it."

Tony indulged if only to further the conversation, "Peter and Spider-Man both seem very considerate of others."

Peter nodded in agreement, "I don't think either can recall ever being selfish in their lives."

The comment hurt the older man's heart. The boy deserved so much and yet he'd never take it, "No I don't think they have. Maybe it's about time they did."

Bewilderment passed over his features before a yawn escaped his lips.

"Something tells me it's time for you to head to bed kiddo."

"No, I'm pretty sure Spider-Man is nocturnal. And Peter can't fall asleep, and when he does it's not for long. Nightmares kinda suck, they never really go away."

"Yeah," he agreed, knowing how true the statement was.

"May will be coming home soon," Peter murmured.

"You want me to wait till she does?"

A small nod was returned in form of an answer and Tony smiled reassuringly. _I'd never leave you alone kid, not after this, not after Vulture._

"Are you going to help me figure out who I am?" A quiet and hesitantly hopeful whisper spoke. 

"Yeah, of course,  kid."

**Author's Note:**

> Holy crap I just realized this is my 80th Spider-Man fic!!!! WOOO.
> 
> also if y'all would ever like to talk hit me up on tumblr : collectanea1122


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